A Budget Built Around the Priorities of Gatineau's Residents

Good day,

The main components of Gatineau's 2019 Budget are as follows.

The budget that we are adopting today is balanced and fits within our fiscal reality. We will pursue the crucial continuous improvement and massive catch-up work on our infrastructures that has been underway for the past several years, and we will invest strategically in projects that, through collaboration with partners in several areas, will enhance the quality of life across Gatineau: additional day camps in Aylmer, business incubators, increased support for organizations in our communities, support for artists' professional practices, and much more.

The issues involved in drawing up a budget are complex, and can raise many questions. You can consult the municipal Web site, specifically the Où vont mes taxes? tool, to better understand your tax account, or contact your elected representative, who will be happy to address your questions or comments. I want to thank all of the elected representatives for their participation and input during the budget preparations.

I also want to thank all those in the municipal administration who contributed directly or indirectly. Once again, the budget exercise reflected the discipline, prudence and transparency of the public administration. This invaluable and essential collaboration enabled us to bring our fellow Gatineau residents a bold budget built around their priorities.

Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin,
Mayor

• Budget highlights
• Summary of revenues and expenditures (in French only)
• Présentation du rapport du Comité d'analyse approfondie du budget de la Ville de Gatineau (in French only)
• Mayor's speech
• 2019 budget (in French only)
• 2019 budget pamphlet

Budget highlights

A $623.3 million balanced budget

On December 11, Gatineau Municipal Council adopted the budget for 2019, a $623.3 million balanced budget. This year's tax increases fall under two categories:

The Comité d'analyse approfondie du budget

On the heels of the adoption of the 2018 Budget, the Municipal Council asked the Executive Committee to set up the Comité d'analyse approfondie du budget. This committee, supported by the Commission de révision des dépenses et des services, was tasked with conducting an in-depth budget review, including the workforce plan, and to provide the Municipal Council budget orientations for the last three years of the current mandate. The 2019 Budget is based on the 12 recommendations made by the committee.

Revenue diversification

A revenue diversification plan is being introduced to alleviate the tax burden on taxpayers.

• In 2018, duties on transfers of immovables for transactions in excess of $1,000,000 increased, generating an additional $2 million for Gatineau.
• In 2019, the tax rate on serviced vacant lands will be adjusted, generating an additional $3.5 million.
• Additional measures will be assessed over the coming years.

The tax dedicated to infrastructure catch-up

This tax, created in 2012, is used for infrastructure investments. In 2019, the increase from this tax will be adjusted to 0.5% from 1% in the past few years. Thanks to sound debt management and a significant increase in cash payments over the past few years, we are now able to use the debt to offset part of the dedicated tax, and still maintain the pace of infrastructure catch-up.

In essence, debt servicing now only represents 10% of Gatineau's expenditures, down from 23% at the time of the 2002 merger. It is worth noting that cash payments represent 68% of maintenance type work, up from 25% in 2010.

So far, the dedicated tax has enabled Gatineau to invest more than $112 million in infrastructures, with another $36 million to be added in 2019.

Service enhancements

In order to meet the community's needs, Gatineau is investing in the following areas:

• Economic development:
  • $100,000 for a partnership with higher education institutions, which will be used to set up a business incubator, with a heavy focus on cybersecurity startups; 
  • $100,000 to support the Fondation du Cégep de l'Outaouais for, among other things, the school-business project;                               
  • $100,000 to structure the coordination and development of the Smart City technology;
  • $150,000 to ensure recurrent funding for the Commission de développement économique; and
  • $20,000 to support the Cégep Heritage College Foundation.        
• Social and cultural development:
  • $330,000 to increase the community development support framework; 
  • $180,000 to provide support for artists'professional practices; and
  • $200,000 for two new day camps in the Aylmer sector.       

Significant investments from 2019 to 2021

Over the next three years, investments total $403.2 million, including close to $145 million in 2019, namely for:

• water and sewer systems: $42.2 M;
• water and wastewater treatment plants: $37.8 M;
• roads: $25.9 M;
• municipal building upgrades: $7.2 M
• social housing and residential renovations: $4.6 M$; and
• the community investment plan: $3.3 M.

Over the next few years, Gatineau will continue investing in the following areas:

• the revitalization of two major commercial arteries:
  • boulevard Saint-Joseph: $78.5 M; and
  • rue Notre-Dame: $24.5 M;
• the water discoloration intervention program: $53 M;
• the bike path master plan: $30.5 M (from 2020 to 2024);
• implementation of the stormwater action plan: $24.2 M (from 2019 to 2023), which will, among other things make it possible to:
  • assess the impact of torrential rains on the system;
  • immediately invest in certain infrastructures; and
  • review the ditch reprofiling program.

Additional measures

• $65.6 million for Gatineau's assessed contribution to the STO budget to enable the transportation agency to stay on track and maintain the increase in ridership achieved over the past few years.
• $637,000 until 2023 to extend the school corridor safety program to all schools (55 more schools).
• $100,000 to implement the water management plan.
• Modernization of the parking meters in the downtown, which will include a mobile application for payments. The situation in the la Cité sector will be assessed.

Summary of revenues and expenditures

Présentation du rapport du Comité d'analyse approfondie du budget de la Ville de Gatineau

• Rapport du Comité d'analyse approfondie du budget de la Ville de Gatineau (in French only)
• Présentation du Service des finances au comité plénier du 30 octobre 2018 (in French only)